Alternate Route report falls flat; supporters undaunted

by Cyndy Hardy

Sedona, AZ – April 2, 2008 – Sedona is no closer today than it was two years ago to resolving perhaps its most controversial issue of the past 30 years: whether to build an alternate route between Sedona and the unincorporated Village of Oak Creek.

Alternate route proponents historically cite public safety and traffic concerns as the main reasons to rebuild or replace a low-water crossing that washed out at Red Rock Crossing in 1976. While several possible routes have been discussed throughout the years, many supporters prefer Red Rock Crossing because an easement and two minor road connections already exist.

Opponents say the community has gotten along just fine without a third major road for more than 30 years; and that to rebuild the crossing would destroy pristine U.S. Forest Service land, which has become the most photographed place in Greater Sedona.

In 2006, the pro-alternate-route Sedona City Council commissioned consultants EDAW to conduct a $70,000 Sedona Transportation Feasibility Study, in part, to find out whether data existed to justify a rational purpose and need for a city-initiated National Environmental Policy Act study – an estimated $2 million expense required to build a road on forest land.

The results were disappointing; including data regarding emergency response times, which the council may have counted on to justify an alternate route, which did not pan out. “We feel there is insufficient data and suggest further discussions,” Melissa Sartorius, an EDAW environmental planner, said.

The report also determined the cost to build a bridge over Oak Creek could cost between $5 million and $15 million, depending on the location and not including road improvements.

The consultants only found one result that justified a NEPA study: traffic at the ‘Y’ intersection will operate at a “D” or “F” level of service through 2030 – even after completion of the approximately $40 million Hwy. 179 Improvement Project, Ms. Sartorius said.

“We’re wasting our time here,” said Cole Greenberg, a resident and member of Keep Sedona Beautiful, a local civic group that spearheads the alternate route opposition. The report didn’t offer any new information from a 1996 study that found no practical alternate route, he said. “The planet hasn’t changed since then,” Mr. Greenberg said.

Neither have the politics. Ron Volkman, a VOC resident and secretary of Citizens For an Alternate Route, disagreed with Mr. Coleman’s interpretation of the 1996 study, saying it did identify Red Rock Crossing as a viable route but that Yavapai County Supervisor Chip Davis “sat on it.”

No matter what the city tries to accomplish, people on both sides of the issue acknowledge that the alternate route is all but impossible without the support of Yavapai County, since any alternate route would pass through its jurisdiction.

Mr. Davis, a three-term supervisor – and the only supervisor who represents the Sedona area, refused to take or return calls from the consultants, according to Ms. Sartorius and City Manager Eric Levitt. Mr. Davis could not be reached for this article, however he has said he will not revisit the issue until the community comes to some consensus on a resolution. Consensus is about as likely as Mr. Davis changing his position, according to some.

“I don’t see definitive evidence that the community is behind an alternate route anyway,” said Councilman Rob Adams.

But, Mayor Pud Colquitt said public meetings on the issue are dominated by “a very vocal minority.” A 2004 resident survey showed overwhelming public support and, as Councilwoman Nancy Scagnelli pointed out, every member on the council – except for Mr. Adams, who was appointed by the council to fill a vacancy – was elected, in part, because they support an alternate route.

The council discussed the possibility of putting the issue on the November ballot to let the voters decide ‘once and for all’ whether the city should continue pursuing an alternate route. People on both sides of the issue seemed to like the idea.

City Attorney Mike Goimarac seemed doubtful a city initiative would stand up to legal challenges, since initiatives are designed to create laws, not to determine political positions. However, if it’s presented as a citizen referendum, or if no one challenges a council initiative, it may stand a chance of getting on the ballot, he said.

For now, the City Council reluctantly tabled the issue for at least 18 months, until the Hwy. 179 Improvement Project is complete and new traffic data can be analyzed to determine whether enough justification exists to pursue county support.

Ms. Scagnelli, who resigned her position as president of Citizens for an Alternate Route (CFAR) when she was elected to the City Council in 2006, said alternate route supporters shouldn’t drop the ball just because of the delay.

“Chip Davis has said it will take 20 years to get an alternate route [if at all]. That will be about 2030. We need to begin and continue the dialogue. In 20 years, we may be glad we did,” Ms. Scagnelli said.

© 2008 Cyndy Hardy. This article may not be reproduced, republished or distributed without written permission from the author.

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